Cracks in the Ice
by BlytheDhysReygard
Summary: A collection of one-shots/drabbles from multiple perspectives focusing on Jack and his life both before, during, and after the events of the movie. Lots of lovely fluff to be had. No particular order. No particular pairings. Requests welcomed!
1. Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this fic.**

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 **General Warnings: Rated M for Later Violence and Suggestive Themes**

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 **Author Notes: Hey guys. So first of all, I'd like to apologize, because I now have three stories up on my account, and I am posting a new story. Sorry. My bad.**

 **But seriously, I'm not quite sure you guys understand. The plot bunnies are legit multiplying. Exponentially even. I'm not even sure how many there are now. I'd like to say there's around 40 new documents on my computer with more fanfic ideas. I'm not even joking with you. They are literally reproducing LIKE ACTUAL RABBITS. And if you don't know how fast and how large rabbits reproduce, let me just tell you: it's a lot.**

 **But anyways, I'm sorry, and here's the new story.**

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 **STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT IT'S WORDS THAT TRULY HURT ME.**

Bunny chances a glance at the spirit sitting beside and slightly behind him, eyes closed in bliss and wind ruffling through the kid's hair like an old friend, and mouth twitching into a mischievous smile, looking for all the world like he belonged in the sky and not on the earth.

He thinks back to the confrontation he had with the kid back at North's place, and winces. He should've had a better grip on his own emotions.

 _But none of them believe in you, do they?_

He guesses he could push the blame onto the fact that Easter was only in 3 days, shove all the guilt aside and pretend he was innocent in causing the pain Bunny had seen flash through the kid's eyes.

 _You see, you're invisible mate…_

But Bunny knows he is the one to blame.

 _…it's like you don't even exist._

And then the kid had shouldered aside the quick stab of pain flickering in those pretty blues (and Bunny knows that his words had to have hurt wide and hurt _deep_ ) and threw some of his own shots right back at him. And Bunny couldn't stop himself from retorting back with some barbs of his own.

 _People believe in_ me.

Bunny has to stop the shocked confusion from showing on his face at the sight of faint tears welling up in Jack's eyes, the kid's expression twisting into something hurt and lost and _broken_ , and Bunny wonders just how long Jack had been alone for that particular expression to come about. It's all he can do to keep his ears from flattening against his head in sorrow and guilt, the shame rising up in Bunny's throat threatening to choke him.

North called Jack's name and it was too late. Bunny blames himself and his stupid pride for getting them into this mess. His pride was what had boiled his blood at the kid's words, and it was his pride that refused to let him apologize now.

He steals another glance at Jack. Bunny means to apologize, but the words stick in his throat. Jack decides to get back at him with a little prank, the bloody stupid frostbite, and Bunny obviously panics before seeing the little brat safe and sound. Bunny acts like everything is normal between them, and snaps back, nervous and uncomfortable in the whipping air (unlike Frost), trying his absolute best to wipe away what had just happened back at the Pole.

And then North throws a snow-globe (and Bunny's stomach is in danger of emptying all of its contents), all hell breaks loose, and Bunny is so frustrated that he can't help, can't because he's absolutely freaking _useless_ in the air, and is so _so_ grateful to Jack when he jumps up and snatches a fairy from the snapping jaws of one of those blasted, infernal dark creatures.

Upon finding Tooth on the verge of panicking, they race to her side. Bunny is too caught up in the adrenaline and immediateness of the situation to notice one of their party is making sure to stay a respectful distance away from the four Guardians huddled together in solidarity and simply _together_. Pitch Black arrives with the usual malevolent flair and evil stink (Bunny will still smell it on them until _weeks_ after their final battle with the Bogeyman is concluded) and delights in giving them a lecture about exactly how foolish they were and here Bunny must force down the hot anger rising up, and then he notices _Jack_. Pitch opens his ugly, filthy mouth and something deep inside of Bunny _burns_ because Pitch unintentionally echoes _Bunny's words_. Before he knows it he's bolting towards them totally and completely running purely on instinct, hurling insults at the man who has unknowingly repeated the Pooka's words, and the guilt and hatred of himself compels him to fight back, tooth-and-nail-and-whatever-else-is-on-hand, for Jack's sake. Because Bunny doesn't miss the tensing of the kid's shoulders, the grip on his staff tightening so hard around the piece of crooked wood that, if it was even possible, turns the kid's fingers even paler, and that same slightly broken expression appear on Jack's face for the briefest of moments when Pitch dismisses him.

But Bunny forces himself to calm down, _calm down Aster_ , because Pitch is still there, still very much a threat, and he needs to pull himself together. So he does. But the memory of that sight still lingers in his mind, and later he will wonder what exactly it was that made Jack look so broken.

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 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	2. Panic Attack

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this fic.**

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 **General Warnings: Rated M for Later Violence and Suggestive Themes**

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 **Author Notes: *GASP* Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Blythe updates twice in one week?! Unheard of! Laughable! Inconceivable!**

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 **PANIC ATTACK**

North's eyes blinked open slowly as the induced lethargy gradually left his body. He scrubbed at his eyes tiredly.

Why was he on a tiny bed? His vision swam as North struggled to sit up and make out where he was. The last thing he remembered were, strangely enough, dancing carrots with candy canes. He grumbled under his breath. Sandy's work no doubt. North glanced around the room. Beside him Bunny was in his own battle against his sleepy state, and Tooth and her small counterpart still looked to be out for the count. Why were they all asleep? Suddenly, North became aware of a weight leaning against his side. He looked down to find a small, brown-haired child snoring deeply, head lolling against North's arm. As Tooth finally began to stir, North stared bemusedly once more around the room, desperately trying to remember the context for the situation he had, quite literally, awoken to.

And then bolted upright in the remembrance of the circumstances of their unplanned naptime, panic racing within his chest as he realized _Jack and Sandy were missing._

"Bunny! Tooth! We need to leave, now!"

As he hustled his still drowsy teammates out the child's window, grumbling at the forced eviction from their comfy sleeping spots, whistling loudly for the sleigh and fighting the lure of sleep himself, North couldn't help but listen to that little voice in the back of his head that was only confirming what the unabating panic in his chest and the Very Bad Feeling North's belly was telling him. He tried to push away the thought, the feeling that something was so very, very wrong, but the stark panic urging him to do something, _you have to do something_ , just wouldn't go away. Jack and Sandy needed their help. They were in trouble.

Big trouble.

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